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Game Boy Advance
The Game Boy Advance (abbreviated as GBA) is a 32-bit Nintendo portable system initially released in Japan on March 21, 2001. A part of the sixth generation of video games, the Game Boy Advance was noted as the final Game Boy iteration. It was succeeded by the Nintendo DS line in 2004. In Japan, the Game Boy Advance was one of the first two Nintendo systems to have its games rated by the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO), whose rating system had been put to use during the system's lifetime. Production of the Game Boy Advance, along with the SP and Micro, ceased in December 2009 and system sales ended in May 15, 2010, ending the classic Game Boy line. Hardware Technical Specifications *'Length:' approximately 14.45 cm (5.69 in). *'Width:' approximately 2.25 cm (0.96 in). *'Height:' approximately 8.2 cm (3.2 in). *'Mass:' approximately 5 oz (140 g). *'Screen:' 2.9 inch reflective thin-film transistor (TFT) color LCD. *'Power:' 2 AA batteries. *'Battery Life:' approximately 15 hours on average while playing Game Boy Advance games (also dependent on the Game Pak being played, volume setting and any external peripherals being used - e.g. a Worm Light or Screen Illumination Connection.) *'CPU:' 16.8 MHz 32-bit ARM7TDMI with embedded memory. 8 or 4 MHz 8-bit Z80 coprocessor for Game Boy backward compatibility. *'Memory:' 32 kilobyte + 96 kilobyte VRAM (internal to the CPU), 256 kilobyte DRAM (outside the CPU). *'Display Size:' 1.6" by 2.4" (40.8 by 61.2 mm) *'Resolution:' 240 × 160 pixels (3:2 aspect ratio). *'Color Support:' 15-bit RGB (5 bits depth per channel), capable of displaying 512 simultaneous colors in "character mode" and 32,768 simultaneous colors in "bitmap mode". *'Colors per sprite:' 16 or 256 (includes transparency) *'Sound:' Dual 8-bit DAC for stereo sound (called Direct Sound), plus all legacy channels from Game Boy. The new DACs can be used to play back streams of wave data, or can be used to output multiple wave samples processed/mixed in software by the CPU. Design, operation, and variants Like the Game Boy Light and the Game Boy Color, the Game Boy Advance requires two AA batteries. The Game Boy Advance is the last Nintendo handheld to require batteries and it is also the last Nintendo handheld to not have a clamshell design until the Game Boy Micro and the original Nintendo 2DS. A couple of redesigns were released including the Game Boy Advance SP and the Game Boy Micro. The Game Boy Advance received somewhat some criticism, for it didn't have a backlight, and that was one of the most requested additions from the consumers. Therefore, from the GBA SP and onwards, a backlight was an essential. Games Top Ten Best-Selling GBA Games .]] #Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire'' (2002) #''Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen'' (2004) #''Pokémon Emerald'' (2004) #''Mario Kart: Super Circuit'' (2001) #''Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World'' (2001) #''Super Mario Advance'' (2001) #''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (2003) #''Namco Museum'' (1999) #''Pac-Man Collection'' (2001) #''Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3'' (2002) Development A successor to the Game Boy called Project Atlantis was originally planned in the mid 1990s. It would support 32-bit ARM CPU and would practically be able to run games like the SNES, being on par with it. This device was scrapped with the revival of Game Boy sales in the other revisions and the enormous form factor. The actual development of the Game Boy Advance was not started until the Game Boy Color was started. It was first mentioned as a successor to the Game Boy Color in October 1999. The development cycle was relatively fast, completed within 2 years. It had the codename of Advanced Game Boy, very similar to the final name. The system was unveiled at Spaceworld 2000 on August 24, 2000. Sales The Game Boy Advance systems quickly became Nintendo's best selling system of all time within a few years, accumulating a total of 81.51 million sales worldwide, including 43.57 million SP units and 2.42 million Micro units. In 2009, the Nintendo DS surpassed this and continued on its path of domination by managing to move a total of 154.02 million units worldwide. See also *Game Boy Advance SP (Successor) *Game Boy Micro (Successor) *List of Game Boy Advance games Category:Nintendo handhelds Category:Game Boy Advance